Historic Preservation & Architectural Conservation
The practice of historic preservation and architectural conservation is much more than a construction process. It is a life mantra that encompasses history, passion, hope and a deep abiding respect for the tradesmen and artisans that crafted the structures we preserve. We fight hard to retain as much of the original fabric as possible. For without this fabric the structures become mere ghosts of their original selves.
We preserve before we restore and we restore before we replace.
The Art of Historic Preservation/Architectural Conservation
The Preservation Austin award for “historic restoration and infill” recognizes the work to restore the historic house and contribute to revitalizing 11th Street in East Austin.
“Our city's quality of life is enhanced by a dedication to preserving its history," said Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole. "The Dedrick-Hamilton House recognizes the rich and unique African American experience in Austin and is deserving of this great recognition.”
The house was owned by Thomas Dedrick, one of the first freed slaves in Travis County. The home, built about 1880, was in one of the earliest African American communities in East Austin.
Austin's African American Cultural and Heritage Facility
Wooldridge Square Park and Pergola
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department has been awarded a Preservation Merit Award for the Preservation of a Cultural Landscape for work conducted on the revitalization of historic Wooldridge Square Park. This is the second year in a row that the department has been recognized by Preservation Austin for its stewardship of historic sites.
“The Parks and Recreation department devoted extensive resources toward the renewal of Wooldridge Square, along with major contributions from the Friends of Wooldridge Square, the Austin Parks Foundation and the Downtown Austin Alliance. The support of our partners was critical to the success of this project,” said Sara Hensley, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
The work at Wooldridge Square, which was rededicated in September, 2013, consisted of nearly a dozen new tree plantings, a new irrigation system, drought-tolerant turf grass, new light fixtures and benches, the installation of a mobile food vendor pad in the northwest corner of the park, and the rehabilitation of the 1910 historic bandstand which helps brings new life to the park.
Wooldridge Square dates to the Waller Plan of 1839 when the City of Austin was surveyed and platted as the capital of the Republic of Texas (1836–1845). In 1909, Austin Mayor A.P. Wooldridge led a beautification effort to formally dedicate Wooldridge Square as a park. The park has a rich history of being a site for lively political speeches and debates. Wooldridge Square Park is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a State Antiquities Landmark and is a designated City of Austin Historic Landmark.
Norwood House
The Ollie Osborne and Calie Gove Norwood estate was comprised of an
impressive assemblage of residences, outbuildings, and site features that were
constructed over a period of approximately seven years. The estate was located on a
prominent bluff on the south bank of the Colorado River and overlooked downtown
Austin where O. O. Norwood constructed two landmark structures - the Motoramp
Garage and the Norwood Office Building on West 7th Street. The estate that was the
location of a home in 1922 appears to have grown dramatically during the mid-to-late
1920s as Norwood’s business ventures in Austin and the Lower Rio Grande Valley
prospered. Its evolution from a property with a single residence in 1921-1922 to an
estate with a formal landscape and numerous site features in 1925-1926 reflected
Norwood’s success at dealing in municipal, school, flood control district, and other
bonds.
